Expanding Medicare Telehealth for Home Dialysis Patients Allowing for the Use of Telehealth during the Hospice Care Recertification Process in Medicare Encouraging the Use of Telecommunications Systems for Home Health Services in Medicare

Enabling Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners to Order Medicare Home Health Services

Federal Relief Bills

To date, Congress has passed three bills to respond to the COVID-19 health and economic crises:

The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriation Act (HR 6074, March 6, 2020) – Provides $8.3B emergency supplemental funds to States to address response. and HHS to address research and development of vaccines and diagnostic tools. To view this bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6074

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR 6201, March 19, 2020) – Provides free testing, $1B for nutrition assistance, an increase to the federal share of Medicaid, and new paid sick and family leave benefits for workers impacted by COVID-19. To view this bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6201

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act (HR748, March 28, 2020) –Largest rescue package in the history of US, provides loans and grants to businesses, direct cash payments to taxpayers, and significantly increase unemployment benefits, and provides stabilization funding to States and local governments. To view this bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3548/text

Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (HR266April 24,202) - The bill provides $310 billion to replenish the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that would allow it to resume lending as soon as Monday. The measure also allocates: (1) $75 billion for hospitals; (2) $25 billion to boost testing capacity; and (3) $60 billion for the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/266?s=2&r=1

The PPP applications can resume as early as Monday.

IRS Toolkit for Covid-19 Tax Relief

State Actions

The Governor has not yet signed the budget, awaiting a further assessment of COVID-19 impacts. However, from the CARES Act, the State of Florida will be receiving approximately $12B in relief and response assistance, and Senate President Galvano released a memo last week indicating that in light of the State’s federal assistance allocation and its healthy reserves impacts to the 2020-2021 State budget will be minimized and cuts may not be necessary.